The 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar created a stir with audiences and critics for its themes, storytelling and special effects. Three sequels are in the works, with the first planned for release in December 2017. But this time around, Avatar may become much more than a film.

Three MIT grads this week are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their clever <a href="http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/scigen/">SCIgen</a> program, which randomly generates computer science papers realistic enough to get accepted by sketchy technical conferences and publishers, with a brand new tool designed to poke even more fun at such outfits.

From the time he was 9, Daniel Kowalski, now 23, knew cybersecurity was going to be his thing. Captivated by the stealth work of hackers in commercials and in his favorite movie, Live Free or Die Hard, Kowalski nurtured his fascination with security from a young age, pursuing multiple IT and security certifications during high school and earning a degree in computer criminology at Florida State University.

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